


When Stars Fall to Earth

by Beneath_the_Trees



Series: Second Star to the Right [2]
Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Eventual Romance, Fantasy, M/M, Polyamory, Stardust AU, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-14 23:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17517770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beneath_the_Trees/pseuds/Beneath_the_Trees
Summary: Atsuya and Shirou knew they were destined for more than the small town of Wall. So when a shooting star streaks across the sky a month before their 18th birthday, they  knew it was as good a sign as it was going to get.Little did they know, that this Star was going to lead them on the journey of their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

_A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them, because we are human?”_

_Pointless, really._

_Do the stars gaze back? Now, that’s a question._

_But I’m getting ahead of myself. Our story really begins here, 150 years ago at the Royal Academy of Science in London, England, where a letter arrived containing a very strange inquiry._

_It had come from a country boy, and the scientist who read it thought it might be a practical joke of some kind. But he duly wrote a reply politely explaining that the query was nonsense, and posted it to the boy who lived in a village called Wall._

_So named, the boy had said, for the wall that ran alongside it. A wall that, according to local folklore, hid an extraordinary secret._

“I’m charged with guarding the portal to another world, and you’re asking me to just _let you through?!_ ”

“Um. Yes.” A man with short, dark purple-blue hair and glasses said. “See, it’s a _field_ , so I hardly doubt that there is any reason to keep people out.”

The gatekeeper frowned, and the man sighed. He walked forward, placing a hand on the gatekeeper’s shoulder and turning him out to the field beyond the wall. “Look, do you see another world out there? No. You see a field. Do you see anything nonhuman? No. And do you know why?”

The man with short hair threw his hands out towards the field. “BECAUSE IT’S A FIELD!!!”

The gatekeeper, however, was not having it. “Hundreds of years, this wall’s been here. Hundreds of years, this gap’s been under 24-hour guard.” He replied gruffly, shaking a finger at the gap he guarded.

“Well—”

“One more word, and I’ll have you up in front of the village council!”

The man blinked, nodding ever so slightly. “Well, that… that sounds rather final.”

“Yeah.”

“Better just go home, then, I suppose.” The man turned to leave, letting out a soft sigh.

“Right, then. Night, Shimon.” The gatekeeper said, placing a hand on Shimon’s back and lightly pushing him forward. “Give my best to your father.”

As the gatekeeper dropped his guard, Shimon turned and ran for the gap in the wall, leaping over it before the gatekeeper could stop him.

“Stop!”

Shimon didn’t listen, letting out a whoop of excitement as he went running up the hill past the field and into the trees.

\----

Shimon slowed as he reached the top of the hill, taking a moment to catch his breath as he looked down at a small town in the valley, lit up with activity beneath the moon. The entrance of the town closest to him was bright with colorful lights.

Were they having some sort of celebration?

Shimon made his way to the town; his breath being stolen away as he entered the bazaar. The streets were bright and smoky, filled with crowds of people. The wares were colorful and strange, things Shimon had never seen before in his small town.

He glanced at the wares of the table he was passing, his eyes widening at the sight of two miniature, living elephants. He quickly looked away, not wanting to seem unused to the strange things. He stopped at the next shop as he noticed what looked like a container of…. Eyes?

He jumped as the two visible pupils suddenly looked at him, causing the others to all turn around and stare at him. Shimon quickly moved away, giving the shopkeeper a nervous tilt of the head in farewell.

Shimon let his eyes wander, though they were quickly taken by the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, sitting on the back of a wagon and fiddling with a piece of cloth in her hands.

“I don’t deal with time-wasters.”

Shimon blinked, eyes focusing on the redheaded woman in front of him. He cleared his throat, cheeks turning pink. The woman rolled her eyes, motioning with her head for the one sitting on the back of the wagon to come over to the two.

“Get over here and tend to this stall.” She ordered, giving Shimon an annoyed look as she walked past. “I’m going to The Slaughtered Prince for a pint.”

The pretty one nearly seemed to skip over to Shimon, her dark grey hair fanning around her face in a way that made her look innocent and young. She was small, and dainty, and her dress was the color of snow in the moonlight.

She put her hands on her hips, smiling at Shimon. He felt an arrow through the heart, heat rising to his cheeks as she chuckled and almost purred, “See anything you like?”

“Um…” Shimon found his eyes locking with light, ashy brown eyes, words disappearing from his train of thought in place of the beauty in front of him. “Definitely.” He whispered, making the woman’s smile grow as she laughed.

Shimon blushed. “I mean, what I meant was…” He looked down at the stall’s wears while he stammered, looking for something to save him from embarrassment. He took in the plethora of flowers and cleared his throat, picking out the periwinkle flowers that matched the dainty woman in front of him almost perfectly. “These ones, the—the blue ones.” He looked back over to the woman, giving her a nervous smile. “How much are they?”

The woman hummed, swinging her hips playfully as she studied Shimon. “They might be the color of your hair. Or they might be all of your memories before you were three.” She had a teasing lilt to her words as she sang them, a musical quality in her voice that had Shimon melting inside even as the odd payments turned him confused. The woman shrugged a shoulder, “I can check if you like.”

After a pause, the woman shook her head, “Anyway, you shouldn’t buy the bluebells. Buy these two instead.”

She plucked two small white flowers from their places in the barrel, holding them out for Shimon to see. “Snowdrops. They’ll bring you luck.”

Shimon hesitated, eyes locked on the woman’s. “…But what do those cost?”

“Together?” She asked, smiling and looking at Shimon beneath her eyelashes. Shimon gulped. “These cost a kiss.” The woman whispered. Shimon’s gaze dropped to her lips, soft and inviting. He bit his lip, swallowing hard as she leaned forward and settled the two flowers in his breast pocket.

He looked back up at the woman, smiling brightly as she grinned and leaned forward, tapping her cheek.

He leaned forward to give her a kiss, heart leaping into his throat as she turned her head at the last second and their lips met.

It felt as if the rest of the bazaar had disappeared, leaving only Shimon and the shop-woman. Like he had found a piece of him that had been missing.

With a final peck on his lips, the woman moved away, giggling. It reminded Shimon that he should probably open his eyes and lean back,

“Is she gone?” The woman asked.

Shimon let out a breathless chuckle, confused for a moment before he remembered the cold annoyance of the stall’s owner. He glanced around, not seeing the redhead anywhere in the crowd. He looked back at the woman as she lightly brushed his arm, motioning for him to follow.

He did as told, walking around the stall and following the woman as she made her way to the wagon. A loud clinking of a chain dragging across caught his attention, causing him to look down.

His heart caught in his throat for an entirely different reason when he saw the thin metal strand wrapping around the woman’s ankle.

He picked up the chain, looking from it to the woman in worry. The woman turned, her smile disappearing when she saw what he held. She sighed, leaning close to Shimon. “I’m a princess, tricked into being a witch’s slave. Will you liberate me?” She asked softly. Shimon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Princess? Witches?

He found it all hard to believe; it’d been years since there was a princess in England, much less London. Not to mention that witches were the things of fairy tales.

And yet…

Shimon looked at the chain in his hand then back at the princess, biting his lip. It didn’t take long for him to make his decision, bunching the chain in his hands and taking out his pocket knife. He sliced through the chain with ease, but to his shock and dismay the chain relinked itself, now two pieces instead of one.

The necklace of metal he now held in his hand was cold as the woman said, “It’s an enchanted chain. I’ll only be free when she dies.” The woman smiled at Shimon, eyes sad. “Sorry.”

Fear leapt into Shimo’s chest as she stood up, afraid the conversation had sparked an end to their meeting. “Well, if I can’t liberate you, what do you want of me?”

The woman stared of a moment, eyes wide with surprise before they turned sultry. She held out a hand, waiting until Shimon took it and pulling him into the wagon before closing and locking the doors.

_So, the scientist was wrong._

_The wall had successfully done its job of hiding the magical kingdom of Stormhold. The young man returned that night to his home in England, hoping that his adventure would soon be forgotten. But nine months later, one snowy night, he received an unexpected souvenir._

The gatekeeper knocked on the door to Shimon’s house, relieved when the man opened the door quickly. He held out the basket in his arms, giving Shimon a knowing smile.

“This was left at the wall for you.” He said, holding out the basket. Inside, were two baby boys, bundled tightly in blankets to protect them from the chill. Shimon’s eyes widened. “Said their names are Shirou and Atsuya.”

Silently, Shimon took the basket from the gatekeeper’s hands, eyes already filled with love and awe at the twins he now held. Without a word the gatekeeper turned around, hearing the door click behind him as he made his way back to his post at the wall.

_For seven years, all had been well with the small family of three. Shimon told the boys little of their mother, sharing what little tales he could, and they grew to be quite the duo. Shirou was sweet, and gentle, while Atsuya was a troublemaker through and through, though he did have his own way of caring._

_Shirou and Atsuya looked more and more like their mother each day, though Atsuya had retained more of Shimon’s qualities than Shirou. How his hair ended up being a pale rose was anyone’s guess, though. It made Shimon’s heart melt and the desire to return to that wonderous world, that chance to see their mother again and hold her in his arms, to finally free her and be her knight in shining armor, resurface._

_Sadly, that day would never come._

_Shimon fell prey to a bear attack when returning home from a journey with his coworkers, leaving his two sons orphaned._

_The two boys would continue to grow and live, though, and grow they did._

_Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and the sleepy town of Wall became the residence of two heartbreakers._

_When the boys weren’t rejecting the hearts of all the young girls, Atsuya was out hunting, protecting the town from trouble, while Shirou was doing all sorts of jobs around town._

_But never mind how the infants became boys. This is the story of how Fubuki Shirou and Atsuya become men, a much greater challenge altogether._

_For to achieve it, they must save, and win the heart of their one true love._

“Oi, Shirou! Where—”

“I’m sorry, I can’t go out with you.” Shirou’s soft voice made Atsuya pause at the door to the town’s shop, mentally wincing as the sharp hitch of a girl’s breath followed soon after.

An even softer murmur behind the door, and Atsuya barely had time to move away from getting hit in the face as a girl came running out with tears in her eyes. Slowly, Atsuya peered around the door, watching as an uneasy and embarrassed Shirou carded a hand through his hair before turning to the old lady that was next in line.

“Sorry about that,” Shirou apologized, his voice carrying the same gentlemanly charm it always did. “What do you need, Mrs. Fumiko? It almost made Atsuya roll his eyes. Didn’t it get tiring, having to act that way all the time in public?

“Shirou,” Atsuya called lazily, hoisting the birds he carried over his shoulder even higher. Seeing he caught his twin’s notice he lifted his hand, showing the rope holding the fowls. “Where d’ya want me to put these guys?”

“Where you always put them, Atsuya.”

“Got it.” Atsuya strode past the waiting patrons, bumping his shoulder with Shirou’s as he passed and went for the door leading out back, where the “butchering site” was.

It wasn’t much in the way of actually comparing to the next town’s butcher, where all of Wall’s bigger quality meats came from, but it was enough for Atsuya and the shop owner to make quality dried meats for their patrons, and that was enough for them.

For now, at least.

Atsuya knew he and Shirou wouldn’t— couldn’t— stay much longer in this sleepy little town. There was nothing left for them here: Atsuya had grown tired of the hunt in these parts, Shirou longed to get out of the shop and actually _do_ something with his life, and they’d broken the hearts of every girl their age or around it twice over because apparently the fact they _didn’t like women_ was a lost concept to the people of Wall.

They weren’t meant to be glued to this town, filled with hollow hopes and dreams that were never completed.

“Atsuya! Can I talk to you?”

Atsuya felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at the sound of another hopeful girl and tried not to pinch the bridge of his nose, plastering a grin on his face.

“I’ll be right there.”

\----

One good thing about Wall, though, was the view.

With little activity at night, the stars were able to shine at some of their brightest in the sky over the town. Plus, Wall was in the perfect position to have as much sky exposed as possible: no matter the direction, no matter the area or time, you could see the moon and hundreds of stars along with it.

 “Atsuya?”

“Hm?”

The Fubuki twins laid on the grass near the gap in the wall, far enough away from the gatekeeper that they wouldn’t be overheard and staring at the stars.

“Why don’t we just… pack up and leave right now? No more waiting for our 18th birthday; just grab what’s left in the attic and our savings, and just… go.” Shirou sighed, not pulling his gaze from the stars.

Atsuya tilted his head back, turning it to the side to look at Shirou. “What brought this on?”

Shirou didn’t respond, making Atsuya roll over onto his stomach with a frown. “Was it the confession earlier, in the shop?”

Shirou groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Oh, don’t remind me. That was awful.”

Atsuya nodded sympathetically. “These girls have no sense for privacy, for sure.”

“Even if I liked girls, I don’t _want_ to date any of them. How’d Wall end up with all the snobs?”

Atsuya laughed at Shirou’s dismayed cry, shoving his twin’s shoulder. “If anyone else heard that, they’d for sure think you were shallow, Shirou!”

Shirou let out a squawk, rolling over to look at Atsuya better. “I’m not shallow! I just have _standards_!”

“Not very complicated standards, Mr. ‘Someone sweet and selfless that I can get along with.’”

“At least I didn’t have a crush on _Humphry_.”

Atsuya’s face turned bright red at the mention of his 12-year-old self’s crush on the town’s most self-centered, bully of an excuse for a noble, just a few months older than the twins. That crush was a year of his life he’d never get back, even if they did help him figure out he was not a fan of the opposite sex.

“Sh-Shut up!”

Shirou smirked, eyes flashing. “Maybe you should think about getting some standards, Atsuya.”

“I have standards!”

“Oh really?”

_If the twins had known then, how the stars watched Earth, they’d have flushed over the very thought of an audience to their announcement of their secrets._

_But, fortunately for them, nearly every star in the sky was at that moment, looking in earnest at the land on the other side of the wall, where the King of all Stormhold lay on his deathbed, which was a coincidence because the King’s final act that would change the course of Shirou and Atsuya’s destinies forever._

“Where is Secundus?”

“He’s on his way, Father.” The eldest of Stormhold’s princes said, bouncing lightly on his heels in hopes that, perhaps, his father would move on to tell them who would succeed the throne after he was gone before Secondus arrived.

“Then we shall wait.” His father’s voice was low and scratchy, a rumble from old age the only tainting in a clear and concise voice.

As if on cue, the doors to the Kings bedchamber were thrown open and Secundus, in all his gaudy red and gold-tinted clothing, waltzed in.

“Sorry I’m late, Father. I came as swiftly as I was able.” He apologized, sounding the least bit sorry as he knelt at his father’s bed before nodding hello to his brothers. “Septimus. Primus. Tertius.”

“So, to the matter of succession.” The King announced gravely. “Of my seven sons, there are four of you today still standing; this is quite a break with tradition. I had 12 brothers—”

“And you killed them all for your throne before your father, the King, even felt poorly.” Septimus said, nearly rolling his eyes from the story. They’d already heard the same story numerous times throughout their childhoods, they didn’t need to hear it again.

The king chuckled weakly, grinning at his youngest.

“We know, Father,” Septimus continued, “You’re strong and courageous.”

“And cunning,” The King added softly, “Most importantly, cunning.” He looked to his second eldest, who smirked. “Secundus.”

“Yes, Father?”

“Look through the window. Tell me what you see.”

The sons exchanged glances, the three of them watching as Secundus made his way to the window behind Primus with a chuckle.

“I see the kingdom, Father.” Secundus declared, turning to look at his family. “The whole of Stormhold.”

“And?”

Secundus swayed on his feet with happy nervousness, giving his father an unsure smile. “My kingdom?” He asked, causing Septimus to snap his gaze to his father.

“Maybe,” The King cooed, “Look up.”

Secundus did as told, and the King turned his gaze to Septimus, a slight grin on his face.

Septimus crept forward with quick steps, shoving his older brother from the bedchambers. Secundus screamed as he fell, and Septimus watching alongside Tertius as their brother fell down and down to the bottom of the mountain’s ravine.

Behind them, the King wheezed out laughter, and Tertius hesitantly moved to do the same to Septimus. He quickly jerked his hand up to scratch at his chin when Septimus turned to face him, looking instead like he was contemplating how much farther the fall would take.

Above the King’s bed, the mauled ghosts of the rest of his sons laughed as well, letting out a happy cheer of their brother’s name when he appeared, neck slapped and face smushed to the side, beside them.

“Sextus. Quintus. Quartus. You’re alive!”

The brothers all shook their heads, making Secundus pause. “Oh. You’re uh…”

“Stuck like this till the new king is crowned.”

Secundus groaned. “I was _that_ close.” He huffed, motioning to the scene before them.

“Yeah, well, least you haven’t lost your looks.” Sextus chuckled, making Quintus and Quartus chuckle as well.

“Oh, please. You’re not annoyed at that whole _murder_ thing, are you? I mean, that was 10 years ago.”

“Mm, yeah. Great deal of good it did you, didn’t it, killing me Secundus; because now, of course, now you are King of all Stormhold.” Sextus replied bitterly, “Oh, sorry. Wait. No, you’re not. You’re dead.”

Quintus and Quartus laughed.

“Kimiko?” The King asked weakly, looking over to Tertius. “Kimiko?”

Tertius shook his head. “N-No, Father, it’s me, your son. Tertius.”

“Oh,” The King sighed, disappointed. He looked around the room. “Where is your sister, Kimiko?”

Primus as Tertius exchanged a glance.

“Sorry, Father. Nobody’s seen Kimiko for years now.” Primus murmured.

“Septimus?” The King accused.

“What?”

“Tradition dictates the throne must pass to a _male heir_.”

“Exactly, Father. So why would I kill my sister when these cretins are still alive?”

“Indeed.” The King grinned, taking a deep breath. “Therefore, we shall resolve the situation in a non-traditional manner.”

He glanced down at his chest, taking off the pendant that rested around his neck and holding it up for the room to see. The ruby jewel in the center began to shine, the color draining from it and becoming a diamond that shone with a vibrant light. The king let got of the chain, watching as the pendant floated in the air.

“Only he of royal blood can restore the ruby,” The King explained, looking to his three remaining sons but not right at them. The light was beginning to fade from his eyes. “And the one of you that does so shall be the new King of Stormhold.”

The pendant’s glow went out the moment the King’s head fell back into the pillows, his last breath gone. Still, the pendant floated above his body, and the three sons exchanged glances, daring the others to make the first move.

As all three of them lunged, the pendant flared to life, evading capture and flying out of the window. The princes watched as it flew high into the sky, walking to the window to watch as it winked high into the atmosphere.

Up, up, up, the pendant went, flying farther and father into the depths of space. A star cried out in pain as the pendant collided with them, knocking them from the sky and sending them careening back into the Earth.

Back in Wall, Shirou and Atsuya gasped, leaping to their feet and watching with wide eyes as the shooting star plummeted into the world beyond the wall. As it faded into the distance, the brothers looked at each other with eyes twinkling like the stars above them.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Shirou?” Atsuya asked, thinking of the adventure that could be had, hunting for a star.

Shirou grinned, nodding. “I’d say that’s as good a sign as any that it’s time to leave, don’t you?”

_They were not, however, the only ones to see the star streaking across the sky, and would not be the only ones wanting to hunt it. Deep in the forests of Stormhold, there lived three sibling witches. And what do witches seek the most?_

 The star’s impact was great; a blinding flash of cosmic white and a crash that decimated the center of one of Stormhold’s small forests.

Slowly, the glow in the center of the crater began to diminish, and what was left in the center was a boy with pale skin and pitch-black hair, dressed in silvery clothe, with the pendant an arm’s length away.


	2. Chapter 2: Adventure Awaits

Slowly, the boy in the crater began to wake.

He groaned in pain and confusion, a hand going to his head to check for blood as he pushed himself off the ground. A sharp pain lanced up his leg and he bit back a cry, lurching forward and clutching at the wound. Hesitantly, he rolled the pant leg up, staring at the red that dotted the inside of the fabric and painted his leg.

He groaned, shakily reaching to feel along the gash and stomach rolling when he felt cracked bone. He quickly pulled the pant leg back down, looking away from his legs. Something sparkled in the corner of his eye and he looked over to the source, confused. A pendant laid innocently on the rock, covered in stardust.

The boy’s eyebrows furrowed with annoyance.

He reached for the offending object, relieved it was within reach.  He studied the gem in the center before looking up at the night sky, studying the stars. Panic flared in his chest and he looked around the crater once more, as if waiting for someone to appear. With little hesitation he slipped the pendant around his neck, worry and fear starting to make itself known now that the confusion had settled.

What was he going to do?

\----

“Mormo! Empusa! Wake up.” The witch who’d seen the falling star shouted, slamming her hands down on the chest at the end of the bed twice. “Now!”

Her sisters, as old and wrinkled as she was, sat up in their shared bed, staring at her with bleary eyes. “What is it?”

“A star has fallen.” The witch exclaimed, holding her clasped hands out in front of herself in anticipation. At the news, the sisters gasped, leaping from their bed and rushing to get dressed.

As they dressed, the eldest witch walked to one of the many cupboards in their main foyer, frowning when she opened it only to be greeted with cobwebs and empty containers. “Where are the Babylon candles?”

“You used the last one, Lamia. 200 years ago; do you not recall?” Mormo scoffed, as if Lamia’s use of the candle had been trivial at best.

Lamia sighed. That would make this much harder.

“Perhaps we can obtain another.”

“Has your mind become as decrepit as your face, Empusa?” Lamia hissed, turning to face the youngest. “You speak as if such things are freely available.”

“I _know_ , sister, I merely thought—”

“You’d have us hunting for a Babylon candle while some other witch finds _our_ star.” Lamia growled, “Fool! There’s no time to waste. If we must retrieve it on foot, then we shall.” She looked at the many animals they had caged, glancing back to her sisters. “Mormo, we need information.”

The sisters held a ferret down as Empusa sliced it open, uncaring for the gore even as the other animals let out terrified cries at their friend being slaughtered.

The three leaned in close, studying the entrails and letting out curious hums.

“If these divinations are correct, the fallen star lies 100 miles away.” Lamia whispered. Together the three straightened, Empusa smiling eagerly as the other two kept their excitement hidden.

“Four centuries we’ve waited for this. What hardship a few more days?”

“Which of us shall go, then, to seek it and bring it back?” Mormo asked, her words smooth as silk even as she danced with anticipation.

The three witches closed their eyes and reached out with their hands, moving to grab from the entrails. Unaware to her sisters, Lamia glanced down at the body, sure to pick the win.

“I’ve his kidney.”

“I’ve his liver.”

“And I’ve his heart.” Lamia smiled innocently at the two, though the edges were quirked into a smugness that she quickly tried to hide.

Empusa reached for the box on the other side of the table, pulling it closer to the three could use their magic and unwrap the enchanted cloth around it.  “You’ll be needing what’s left of the last star.” She said, giving Lamia a jealous, displeased stare as Lamia pulled the box closer to herself.

Savoring the moment, Lamia lifted the lid of the box, looking down at the brightly shining remains. Her smile fell. “Hm. There’s not much left.”

“Oh, soon, there’ll be plenty for us all.” Mormo promised with a whisper.

Lamia reached into the box, dousing the light as she held the remains in her hand, with only a few strands of silver light breaking through. She started to dance, excitement building in her chest as she turned to the mirror. She tore the wig from her head with a scream, chest heaving with pleasure as she ate the star’s remains whole.

In and instant, the frail remainders of hair on her head turned  into a full head of luscious golden locks, her body thinned and became young once again, turning an ugly old witch into a gorgeous woman. She caressed her face, a sigh of pleasure running through her body as she turned to face her sisters before dropping the dress she wore to her feet.

Mormo and Empusa rolled their eyes, tired of the smug grin their sister wore even as she admired her backside.

The hunt had begun.

\----

Atsuya and Shirou rushed back to their home, packing the clothes they’d kept out for the last months before their journey and slinging their bags over their shoulders before darting to the attic.

For years, little had been left in their home as reminders to the days their father still lived. They’d tossed his clothes, his books, his silly little tchotchkes. All that remained of him was in the attic: the basket they had been brought to him in, the glass flowers given to him by their mother, and the chain he’d cut from their mother’s ankle.

Their hearts ached in tandem at the realization that their father would never complete his dream of freeing her, and that she knew not of his death.

Shirou shifted the fraying, dusty blanket from its place in the basket, carefully lifting out the small, rolled parchment addressed to them and glass flowers from their places. He handed a flower to Atsuya, who pocketed both it and the chain. Shirou studied the remaining flower, twirling it around in his hand.

“…Do you think she knew? That father would lead to twins?”

“What makes you say she knew?” Atsuya asked, glancing at Shirou as he made one last sweep in the attic for anything they might need. He paused as he moved a wooden frame out of the way, staring at the bow and quiver leaning innocently against the wall, covered in spiderwebs.

Their father’s. It had to be.

“She gave father two flowers instead of one. He hadn’t asked for more.”

“Maybe it was her version of flirting.”

Shirou looked up from the flower at the sound of something wooden being moved, his eyes widening as he took in the simple bow Atsuya held in his hands. “Is that…?”

Atsuya shrugged, frowning in thought as he tested the string. “It’s not in the worst condition… think we should bring it?”

Shirou bit his lip, thinking about it. They already had a bow: a better one, by the looks of it.  But it was their father’s…

“You’re the archer. What do you think?”

Atsuya groaned, not looking to happy at either option. Eventually he sighed. “I suppose a second bow won’t hurt to have.” He grumbled, looking over to his brother. “Do you have what was in the basket?”

Shirou nodded, holding out the rolled parchment. “Something’s inside. Want to do the honors of opening it?”

“You do it.”

With Atsuya’s answer, Shirou carefully untied the string holding the parchment in place and opened the letter.

At the bottom of the letter was a pitch-black candle, unused. Shirou handed it to Atsuya and moved further into the light of their lamp to read what their mother had written.

“ _My dearests Shirou and Atsuya, please know that I only ever wanted the best for you. Had my mistress allowed it, I would have kept you in a heartbeat. My dearest…._ ” Shirou felt himself choke up as he read the next sentence, taking a shuddering breath as he glanced at Atsuya. “ _My dearest wish is that we will meet someday, and your father, you and I can live peacefully together.”_

Atsuya’s jaw clenched at the words and he looked away, hiding his eyes beneath his bangs. Shirou took another deep breath and returned to the letter, a bubble of confusion quickly replacing the hurt. “ _The fastest way to travel is by candlelight. To use it, think of me and only me. I will think of you every day, for always. Your mother.”_

“Candlelight?” Atsuya repeated, looking at the candle in his hand.  Shirou shrugged, walking over and studying the candle.

“How can a candle help us find mom?”

“Or the star.” Atsuya offered, glancing at Shirou. “Come on, we get to the star first, and we’d have something to give mom if we find her.”

Shirou frowned, looking at his brother. “You want to use it on the star instead of mom? What if it’s one use only?”

Atsuya frowned at that, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. “Uh…” He was quiet a moment, thinking through what he wanted to say. He sighed. “To be honest… We’ve never really dreamed of finding mom, have we? We’ve dreamt of adventure first. At least, I did.”

Shirou’s frown deepened. As much as he didn’t want to admit it… Atsuya had a point.

Though Shirou wanted to meet their mother, the fear that once she was found they’d be trapped behind walls, unable to explore the world like both of them so badly wanted, was far greater. The star was within their reach; something tangible and real. They _knew_ there was a payoff they’d love.

With their mom, they might experience more heartbreak.

“You’re right; once we find the star, we’ll have more than enough time to find mom.”

Atsuya grinned, holding out the candle. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”

\----

The boy in the crater braced himself, rolling over onto his hands and knees. He grit his teeth against the pain in his leg, slowly exhaling as he climbed to his feet. He turned around in a circle, staring at the crater’s walls.

“I have _no_ idea how to get out of here.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. What should he do? He was trapped in the crater with his leg like this, and if he stayed….

The boy’s eyes widened as the cooled molten rock around him suddenly grew bright with light, turning around to see what was rocketing towards him and letting out a yelp as for the second time that night, he was slammed into by something.

He went crashing to the ground, biting his tongue against a whimper of pain as his leg was knocked into by another.

“What on—”

“Are you alright?”

The boy let his head drop against the ground, opening an eye as he let out a groan. “Well, if I didn’t have a concussion before, I do now.” He mumbled, taking in the two almost identical boys currently each straddling a side of him. The one with pale pink hair and red on his cheeks rolled his eyes before quickly climbing off of the boy, brushing off his pants. “If you didn’t want to get run into, don’t stand in the middle of crater.”

“Atsuya,” The one with silver hair scolded, “Be nice.”

The silver-haired boy got to his feet, brushing off his pants before offering a hand. “Want some help?”

The boy from the crater nodded, taking the offered hand and letting himself be pulled up. When he was on his feet again, he tried not to put too much weight on his leg. “Thank you.”

“Hey, have you seen a fallen star anywhere?”

At Pink-Hair— wait, no. _Atsuya’s_ — question, the boy from the crater narrowed his eyes. “Is that some sort of joke?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Atsuya growled, whirling around to face him. The red was gone from his cheeks, replaced with cold dark-grey eyes that did not appreciate the boy’s words. The boy returned the sentiment.

Silver-Hair stepped between the two, holding his hands up. “Whoa, calm down. He might be concussed, remember?”

“What’s so confusing about a fallen star when we’re in the _middle of a crater_ , Shirou?”

The boy from the crater rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Yeah, okay, that’s what I thought you said.”

Shirou turned to face him, eyes curious. “Wait, so this _is_ where the star fell?”

The boy groaned, placing a hand to his head and letting out a heavy sigh. He was _not_ having a good night.

 “Yeah, this is where it fell.” He told them, not bothering to hide his frustration as he gave them a plastic smile. “Mhm. Or, if you want to be _really_ specific,” He laughed, pointing to the sky in the direction the star had fallen from and grabbing the pendant now resting on his chest with his other hand. “Up there is where this weird, damned necklace came out of nowhere and knocked it out of the heavens when it was minding its own business.”

He pointed to the stardust covered patch of land Atsuya was standing on. “And over there is where it landed. And right here, this is where it got hit by two magical flying _morons_!” The boy in the crater hissed, glaring at the two boys. “Who, how much do you want to bet, are just looking to make a quick profit.”

The brothers stared at the star, Shirou’s mouth gaping while Atsuya’s eyes were wide.

“You’re the— _You’re the star_?!”

The star rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Figure that out yourself, did you?”

“Oh, wow.” Shirou chuckled, smiling at the star. The star hunched his shoulders at his gaze, unused to the amazement when all he knew were hungry snarls looking to sell stars to the highest bidder. “I’m sorry,” Shirou continued on in earnest. “We didn’t mean to be rude, we had no idea you’d be a—”

“We were expecting a rock.” Atsuya stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, you got me.” The star snapped, uneasy. He hated that he couldn’t tell what they were planning. It made it even harder to determine if they were safe to trust or if he was going to be trapped the moment he turned around. “ _So_ sorry I’m not something you can just sell with little regard.”

Shirou sighed, sounding exhausted already and turning to face the star. “We don’t want to sell you.”

“Well, not _now_.”

Shirou gave his brother a look, turning back to the star a moment later. “Anyway, do you want to get back home? Maybe we can help?”

The star narrowed his eyes at the two. “How so?”

“Well, we…” Shirou glanced around the crater, letting out a short “Ah-ha!” when he saw what he was looking for. He picked up a half-burned candle, dark as ink, and grinned at the star. “We find the fastest way to travel is by candlelight.”

The star stared, his jaw dropping.

Atsuya smirked. “Ha! Speechless, are you?”

“A _Babylon candle?!_ ” The star cried out in shock, looking between the twins like they were concealing a joke. “How on Earth did you manage to get one?”

The twins exchanged an odd glance with each other before Shirou smiled at the star and held out the candle. “It’s a long story. Here, you can have what’s left of it.”

The star’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, looking at the candle and the twins. “It barely has one use left. Won’t you need it?”

“Just be grateful we’re not using it right now to get us out of this glorified ditch.” Atsuya huffed, annoyed. The star narrowed his eyes at Atsuya for a moment before looking at Shirou.  Could he really trust them? What was the catch? Babylon candles were rarer than rare nowadays, no one would just _give theirs away._

He glanced from the candle to Shirou’s eyes, seeing only the honest desire for him to take it instead. It made the star’s hackles raise a little further, but he couldn’t stop himself from feeling that maybe, just maybe, this boy really did just want him to be able to return home. Still, as much as the star wanted to return to the sky, something about it felt wrong. He couldn’t take this from them.

Hesitantly, he reached out, but instead of taking the candle from his hand he pushed it back to Shirou.

“Keep it. Something tells me you should have it instead.”

“You sure?”

The star sighed, nodding. “Yes.”

“Alright then.” Atsuya said with a sigh as he placed his hands on his hips. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

The star paused, frowning once more and glancing at Atsuya uneasily. “What? Why not now?”

“Well for one, Shirou and I have been up nearly 24 hours now, we need rest if we’re going to climb out of here.”

The star winced at the thought for more reasons than just his leg, his frown deepening. “Stars sleep during the day.”

Atsuya clicked his tongue, his annoyance only seeming to grow. Shirou hissed in sympathy.

“That’s right… We can’t travel at night, though…. These forests are filled with who knows what that come out at night. It’s too dangerous.”

Atsuya growled in frustration, carding a hand through his hair and causing it to stick up slightly. He was silent, glaring at the stars in the sky like they might give him answers. He looked at Shirou, who shrugged, and then at the star.

The star looked away, crossing his arms over his chest as a guise to hug himself against the chill of the wind.

“We could get out of the crater at dawn,” Shirou suggested after a moment, “And I could carry you while you get some rest, if you like.”

The star whipped his gaze to Shirou, cheeks flooding a dark red. “E- _Excuse me_?”

Shirou gave the star a charmed smile, shrugging once again. “I mean, I’ve worked for a bakery before, it wouldn’t be too hard.”

The star spluttered, staring at the silver-haired boy like it’d help him understand exactly what made him think that was the most viable option. Atsuya grinned as he bounced over to Shirou, shaking him by the shoulders. “That’s an awesome idea, Shirou!”

He paused, frowning in thought for a moment. “But we can’t do it all the time; we’d tire out way too fast.” Atsuya looked at the star, who instinctively straightened. “Plus, it’d suck if you missed out on the _entire_ journey because you were sleeping! Otherwise, what’d be the point of traveling with you?”

The star stared, dumbfounded. Just who were these brothers?

“Y-You realize we could just travel a few hours a day, right? Have rotations for sleep and travel?”

“What’s the fun in barely making progress?” Atsuya asked, looking at the star like their option made the most sense and the star’s idea was silly. “If Shirou and I carry you, it’ll be the best chance we have of seeing the most the world has to offer!”

The star huffed, looking away and curling in on himself once again. Under his breath, he muttered, “The world doesn’t have anything to offer, if you ask me.”

But these two travelers who came barreling into him, that had strange but pure-enough intentions no matter how sketchy they felt, were still the star’s best bet of getting out of this hole and back home. If he sat here, waiting, or somehow managed to escape with his leg the way it was, he was sure to be chewed up and torn apart by others less kind.

Slowly, the star sighed, dropping his hands to his sides and sitting back down onto the ground. “Fine. Fine, we’ll follow your plan for now.”

The brothers brightened, and the star tried not to smile at how oddly adorable it was.

\----

“Hurry, you should be on your way now, Primus!” The Bishop whispered, walking to the table where the crown for Stormhold’s king rested and the eldest son knelt. “You must find the royal necklace with the ruby before your brothers; I should like to see _you_ take the throne. The first benevolent king.”

Primus looked down at the crown as the Bishop continued. “I don’t doubt Stormhold would be a better place under your rule.”

“Really?” Septimus’ voice echoed through the church, causing Primus to quickly rise to his feet as he looked at his two remaining brothers.  “Well, that is fascinating. Don’t you think, Tertius?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Prince Septimus!” The Bishop exclaimed from surprise before getting himself back under control. “Tertius. Well… Well, well, I, uh… Since you’re all here,” The Bishop motioned to one of the servants, beckoning them over, “Won’t you join me in a toast?”

The Bishop took the glasses from the servant’s tray, handing them to each prince as they gathered around the crown and finally taking the last for himself.

Septimus smiled, looking into his cup curiously. “What a very good idea.”

“To the new King of Stormhold, whichever of you fine fellows it might be.” The Bishop declared as the brothers gave each other shifty-eyed looks.

“To the new King of Stormhold.”

The four took a drink at the same time, and as soon as they’d finished their drinks something terrible happened.

The Bishop’s smile disappeared as he cleared his throat, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion before he started choking. Septimus’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion, glancing down at his cup. The three princes staring as the pope continued to choke before falling face down onto the table. The pope’s cup clattered to the floor, rolling and bouncing away from the dead body.

Tertius and Primus inspected their cups, the three brothers glancing between the three. Realization that there was the chance another drink was poisoned hit the trio at the same time, causing the trio to stare at each other with bated breath.

Tertius let out a huff, shrugging his shoulder and giving the two a smug smirk after a beat passed. He let out a relieved sigh, believing the worst to have passed since none of them had gone down as fast as the pope, but as he exhaled the breath caught in his throat and he too began to choke, dropping dead a moment later.

Septimus whipped his head to Primus. “You--!” The youngest prince began to choke and gag, clutching at his throat before falling back onto the ground.

Primus looked up from the trio of bodies, shoulders dropping with relief as excitement and joy filled his eyes. He reached for the crown in front of him, lifting it from its cushion. Finally, he was going to be—

Laughter came from the floor, wiping Primus’ smile away. Septimus laid there, pointing and laughing at his elder brother before clapping once and leaping to his feet.

“You really thought you were king?” Septimus goaded, placing his hands on the table to support himself as he laughed. Primus looked away, upset.

“You killed the Bishop?”

“No, Primus,” Septimus said, meeting his elder brother’s gaze. “I think you’ll find that _you_ killed the Bishop by drinking out of the wrong cup.”

Primus gasped, guilt coloring his features as he looked at the Bishop’s dead body. Septimus rolled his eyes.

“Oh, look, when you finish wrestling with your conscience, may I suggest you return to your chamber? Leave the quest for the stone to me.”

\----

Had the nights always been this long?

The star tapped his fingers against the dirt, agitated. He knew that sticking with Shirou and Atsuya was the best course of action, but it’d already been a few hours since he’d fallen and the chances of more star-watchers coming to find him were steadily growing.

Not to mention his leg was starting to bother him. The wound was starting to itch. It was still tender to the touch, and the star desperately wished it wasn’t so he could at least scratch around the edges enough to get it to stop.

Without something or someone to watch, or his brother and friends to talk to, the nights were rather long and boring. The most interesting thing he had to do in this crater was pick at the dirt or watch the brothers sleep.

Another two hours later and the star had officially had it, fear biting at his skin. He needed to move; he could wait for dawn.

Slowly, the star got to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain as the movements pulled the wound the wrong way. A quiet hiss escaped through his teeth, even less weight than before making sharp shocks race up his leg. His ankle throbbed.

The star barely managed to take a handful of steps before his wounded leg gave out on him and he went crashing to the ground. He hissed, screwing his eyes shut for a moment as white-hot pain colored his vision.

When the sensation had passed, the star carefully moved to sit on his hands and knees again, lifting a shaking hand to study the cuts and scraps across his palms from trying to catch himself.

“…Yoru?”

The star tensed, glancing over his shoulder to see Atsuya sitting up and blinking at him with sleep-filled eyes.

“What are you doing?”

Yoru looked away, trying to act innocent as he wiped a hand against his pant leg. He winced from the sting of the cuts on his hands. “Nothing.”

Atsuya sighed, sounding unimpressed. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?”

“I’m not lying! I just—”

“Wait,” The urgency in Atsuya’s tone had Yoru snapping his mouth shut, sending a weary glance back in his direction. “Did you _fall_?”

Yoru let out a nervous laugh, “What? No. That’s ridiculo— what are you doing?”

Stunned, Yoru watched as Atsuya reached over to his brother, shaking his shoulder and hissing his name. “Shirou, wake up. Wake up!”

Shirou sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “What’s up?”

“Star-boy is hurt.”

Yoru let out an indignant squawk, cheeks turning bright red. “I am not!”

“Then how’d you fall?”

“I didn’t fall!”

“Really? Alright then, get up and walk right now.”

Shirou frowned at his brother, clearly against the idea. “Atsuya!”

Yoru glowered at the hunter, growling under his breath. Even though the thought made his stomach roll, Yoru pushed himself to his feet. Pain shot up his leg and he almost fell back down to the ground, causing Shirou to clamber to his feet and rush over.

Yoru tried to push him away when he reached out to catch him, but the motion backfired as Shirou caught his wrist and noticed the scratches and cuts. Concern filled his eyes and his grip tightened slightly as he pulled Yoru closer to inspect the cuts.

Both boys let out surprised yelps as Yoru went stumbling into Shirou, his pull having caused Yoru’s injured leg to buckle. Atsuya leapt to his feet.

Shirou’s eyes widened before he gave Yoru a meek smile. “Ah, sorry…” He apologized. “Is your leg okay?”

Yoru groaned, curling his hands into loos fists to keep any blood from getting on Shirou’s clothes as he pushed the taller boy back. “I’m _fine_ , thanks. Seriously, you two are making way too big a deal out of all this!” Yoru hissed, taking a step back.

He froze when he felt his back hit something, heart sinking as he realized what it was. He tilted his head back, glaring at Atsuya, who raised an eyebrow.

“Let Shirou check your leg. It’s not going to kill you.”

“You two might.” Yoru grumbled. Still, he stopped fighting as his wound throbbed, feeling sticky and the itch returning. The need to run was still thrumming through his veins, but like before, he had to weigh his options. It was too dangerous to go by himself. “But fine,” He sighed, watching as Shirou let go of his wrists. “You can check my leg if you _promise_ we can leave this crater right after.”

“Why do you want to leave so bad?” Shirou asked curiously, already moving down to check his leg. Yoru shifted, uncomfortable, but didn’t shy away from the touch.

Atsuya frowned, moving away from where he was standing behind Yoru. “Does it have to do with these other star hunters you’ve taken us for?”

Yoru rolled his eyes, flinching and hissing in pain as Shirou’s fingers grazed against the wound. Shirou mumbled a quiet “Sorry”, and his touch lightened considerably.

“Of course I’m talking about them; who else would be making a star in the middle of a crater anxious? The longer we stay here, the more likely it is we’ll come across someone else who wants the fallen star that caught their eye.”

Atsuya frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s… actually a really good point. The chances we were the only ones to see you fall is incredibly slim, especially with an impact this big.”  He looked at Shirou, some color draining from his face at the sight of Yoru’s leg. “Holy _shit_ , dude.”

Yoru cringed. “Is it that bad?”

“Well,” Shirou sighed, concern in his voice. “You won’t be walking until we find bandages and something to sterilize the wound.”

“Then we should hurry and get out of here; wasting more time might be a deathtrap.”

Yoru nodded in agreement with Atsuya, glad they were finally going to leave. Before he could wonder how they were going to do it, though, Shirou was wrapping his arms around Yoru’s legs and lifting him off the ground, earning a cry of surprise.

Shirou smiled up at him, lightly tapping his leg. “Come on, I’ll boost you up. Atsuya?”

“On it!” Atsuya ran to the nearest edge of the crater, pulling a knife from his belt and leaping on to the molten rock. Yoru watched, stunned, as he dug the knife into the earth when he no longer had momentum, stopping him from falling back down before he vaulted himself up the rest of the way.

At the top of the crater, Atsuya turned around and laid down on his stomach, holding out a hand over the edge. He made a grabbing motion, “Come on, grab my hand. And my knife, please.”

Yoru nodded, grabbing Shirou’s shoulders as he was carried over to the wall. Shirou smiled, shifting his hold. “I’m going to put my hands on your feet and throw you up to the knife, alright?”

“Okay,” Yoru agreed, bracing himself as Shirou shifted his hold. It was a little odd standing on Shirou’s hands, especially in the air, but Yoru chose not to think about it too much as Shirou tossed him up with shocking ease.

Yoru grabbed the knife’s handle, bracing against the rock. After making sure he was steady, he reached up for Atsuya’s hand. Atsuya shimmed forward a little more, his fingers wrapping around Yoru’s wrist. Yoru returned the gesture, looking away from the boy to Shirou beneath him. “Do you want me to leave the knife?”

Shirou shrugged, “Sure.”

Yoru nodded, looking back at Atsuya. Atsuya nodded, shoulders tensing as he began lifting Yoru up. Yoru pulled himself up along with Atsuya, being careful of his hurt leg as he got over the edge and moved back so Shirou had some space to climb up.

A few seconds later and Shirou was rolling over the edge of the crater, handing Atsuya his knife a moment later. Atsuya smiled, sheathing the knife as the two stood up.

Yoru got to his feet as well, looking at them and then at the significantly less steep parts of the crash site. He glanced at the coming dawn, starting to lighten the tree line. “Let’s go?”

_As the early morning grey began to creep over Stormhold, the three travelers, now out of the crater, began to head north back towards Wall, unaware that as of that very moment the witch and remaining princes raced for their respective prizes._


End file.
